The Last of Us: The must-play video game demand has ignited to nearly 1,000 percent
The numbers really don’t lie - especially when you’re talking about the must-see HBO Max ‘The Last of Us’ series and of course going back to where it all originated - the 2013 video game. New Google Trends data show just how much people want to load up the digital masterpiece following this past Sunday’s insane finale.
The numbers really don’t lie - especially when you’re talking about the must-see HBO Max ‘The Last of Us’ series and of course going back to where it all originated - the 2013 video game. New Google Trends data show just how much people want to load up the digital masterpiece following this past Sunday’s insane finale.
The Last of Us video game demand is insanely high right now
Whether you’re a casual player or have been rocking with consoles since the 80’s - it’s all about wanting to live out some of those insane ‘The Last of Us’ moments from the series. All praises to King Casino Bonus on doing the diligent research and delivering the stats.
Fan demand for The Last of Us video game skyrocketed by 733% after the season finale of the smash HBO TV series aired last night, Google search data reveals.
The findings, pulled together by King Casino Bonus, show that The Last of Us fans are keen to give the video game a try, after the final episode of HBO’s Season 1 perfectly set up more episodes in the record-breaking series, based on the video game’s sequel.
With a second season on the TV series already having been given the green light just two episodes into the first season, fans are considering filling the gap by giving the game a go.
The TV series has been a huge success after debuting in January, having consistently seen its same-day audience numbers grow each week, with episode four’s numbers up 60% from the first episode, which saw over 4.7 million viewers tune in to watch the premiere.
The average audience for the series’ first five episodes approached close to 30 million viewers across all platforms, according to HBO, whilst episode eight attracted 8.1 million viewers - which only represents 20-40% of the show’s total gross audience per week.
Despite some fans being upset to discover that last night’s finale was the shortest episode of the series, the cliffhanger definitely increased America’s appetite for another season.
Immediately after the finale aired, Google searches for ‘The Last of Us season 2’ increased by a huge 3,233%, before gradually decreasing in interest as the evening progressed.
It also inspired an influx of interest around the original source material - The Last of Us video game from Naughty Dog, which will celebrate a decade since its release this June.
Related searches made last night point to the TV finale as the main driver behind the increased interest, with queries for ‘who plays Ellie in the last of us video game’ also rising.
Ashley Johnson - who voiced Ellie in the video games - appeared in last night’s finale in an integral role, much to fan’s delight, who were thrilled to see her in the hit show.
Other searches included ‘the last of us game ending explained’ - as last night’s season finale followed the original video game’s storyline closely - and ‘how did the last of us video game end’, as fans look to see how true the episode was to its source material.
Some states are significantly more invested in giving the video game a try than others, the data shows, with the majority of Google searches coming from these five:
Alaska
Utah
Oregon
Colorado
Washington
So, what will the second season have in store, if it follows the story of the original game’s sequel? The Last of Us Part II is set five years after The Last of Us, and follows a revenge-set Ellie and soldier Abby as they continue to navigate the apocalypse.
Joel also briefly appears in the game’s opening sequence, with him and Ellie having built a life in Jackson, Wyoming - although their relationship has become somewhat strained.
It remains to be seen how closely the TV series’ second season will stick to the game’s storyline, but fans will be pleased to hear that the story will continue either way.
Speaking on the findings, King Casino Bonus said: “After any season finale, there’s typically an uptick in interest around a second series, as fans are sad to see their favorite show head on hiatus. However, 'The Last of Us’ has easily one of the highest increases in searches we’ve seen in a while - and it’s cool to see that this includes the video game.
“The show has almost reached Game of Thrones level popularity amongst its fans after just one season, and we can’t wait to see how many more new players the series can accumulate between now and its second series - which hopefully won’t be too far away!”
The Last of Us: The top 10 states obsessed with HBO Max's must-see series
It’s no doubt - ‘The Last of Us’ is easily one of the best video games ever and by the looks at how HBO Max’s must-watch series is doing ratings/viewership-wise, it’s a win-win for all parties involved. But can you guess which states are the most obsessed with the zombie apocalypse-based show?
It’s no doubt - ‘The Last of Us’ is easily one of the best video games ever and by the looks at how HBO Max’s must-watch series is doing ratings/viewership-wise, it’s a win-win for all parties involved. But can you guess which states are the most obsessed with the zombie apocalypse-based show?
Here’s the Top 10 states most obsessed with ‘The Last of Us’ series
While you would think spots like Florida and Texas would invest the most amount of time into the series because let’s face it - there’s not the most amount of things to do there - those two states didn’t even crack into the Top 10.
Massachusetts is the state most obsessed with the hit show The Last of Us series and popular action-adventure video game in America, a new study has shown.
The research, carried out by online gaming experts at SolitaireBliss.com, analyzed Google keywords planner data for various search terms associated with The Last of Us TV series and the video game in the United States. These terms were then combined to give each state a 'total search score' per 100,000 people to discover which states have been loving The Last of Us over the last 12 months.
The study revealed that Massachusetts ranks number one on the list, displaying the highest interest in The Last of Us with a total search score of 801. Massachusetts ranked the highest in its population searching for the terms ‘The Last of Us’, ‘The Last of Us HBO’ and ‘The Last of Us TV’. Massachusetts also had high interest in the action-adventure gaming version of the series, with the highest searches for the PS4 version of the game in America.
New York is the second most interested state in The Last of Us. With a total search score of 765, the state demonstrated a significant level of interest in the series, especially through its streaming platform, HBO. New Yorkers are actively searching for "HBO The Last of Us," showing a clear desire to watch the show. As well as this, the state has also shown interest in the video game itself, particularly the sequel, ‘The Last of Us Part II.’
Washington has a total search score of 753 and therefore ranks as the third most interested state in The Last of Us. The state has also shown an interest in the video game, particularly on the PlayStation 5 console. Due to the TV series currently trending, searches for it far outnumber those for the game. There are high search volumes for "The Last of Us TV series" in Washington, suggesting a strong interest in the show. While the popularity of the video game cannot be ignored, it appears that the TV series is being searched for more at this moment in time.
The state of California also ranks as one of America’s states most interested in The Last of Us, placing fourth overall. With a total search score of 747, California ranked high on the list in searches for the game versions of the franchise. Californians are searching for ‘The Last of Us game’ and ‘The Last of Us PS5’ more than any other states.
Rounding out the top five is Oregan, with a total search score of 746. Oregon ranks high in interest for the show, placing third in searches for ‘The Last of Us show’ and ‘The Last of Us TV series.’
Colorado is the sixth state most obsessed with The Last of Us, with a total search score of 694. Colorado state citizens expressed high interest in the series, two of the highest search terms its population are searching for are “The Last of Us HBO” and “The Last of Us TV series.”
In the seventh position in the rankings is Nevada, with a total search score of 667. Nevada is highly interested in The Last of Us part II video game, the sequel was released in 2020 and was praised for its improved gameplay, graphics and storytelling.
Illinois places eighth in the rankings, with the state in the top five in searches for ‘The Last of Us Part II’. This helps the state’s search score of 666.
The ranking reveals Arizona is the ninth in interest for The Last of Us, with a total search score of 647 . Amongst the highest search terms were ‘HBO The Last of Us’ and ‘The Last of Us TV series.’
The tenth state in the rankings and rounding up the list of states obsessed with the franchise is Virginia with a total search score of 646. The state is primarily expressing interest in the TV series.
A spokesperson from SolitaireBliss.com commented on the findings: “The data presented reveals the widespread popularity of the new hit TV series "The Last of Us." However, the study also emphasizes that the original video game version of the series remains a beloved source of entertainment and should not be overlooked. Despite the show’s success, it is clear that the game has a dedicated fan base that continues to enjoy and engage with the franchise.”
It's all about 'The Batman' with the sequel in place
In all fairness, after seeing The Joker at the end-end of the film, it was a no-brainer, right? But more importantly, the official green light for The Batman is just further ammunition for what DC Comics is getting to enjoy these days. But before getting too deep into the opinionated words, let’s focus on the big news of the follow-up officially happening.
In all fairness, after seeing The Joker at the end-end of the film, it was a no-brainer, right? But more importantly, the official green light for The Batman is just further ammunition for what DC Comics is getting to enjoy these days. But before getting too deep into the opinionated words, let’s focus on the big news of the follow-up officially happening.
A ‘The Batman’ sequel - of course - is coming
Even before the film hit theaters last month, the box office selling out all over the place pretty much had people mentally prepared to take part in a trilogy series at the very least - and of course Robert Pattinson knows a thing or two about trilogies. But now it’s officially happening and it’s sweet news to the DC faithful.
Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that director Matt Reeves has begun scripting a sequel to “The Batman,” which he and Dylan Clark would also return to produce. The news comes on the heels of the current film passing the $750 million mark at the global box office. The announcement was made today by Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and Reeves himself, who joined Emmerich onstage during his opening remarks at the Warner Bros. Pictures presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
HBO Max’s The Penguin series is happening, too
It’s not just about the Dark Knight, either. His iconic rival - sorry Joker - is getting a series put together with ‘True Detective’ season two star Colin Farrell.
HBO Max recently announced a series centered around Colin Farrell as The Penguin, derived directly from the universe launched by the “The Batman.” Reeves is currently reteaming with J.J. Abrams and DC universe veteran Bruce Timm on the streamer’s upcoming animated series “Batman: Caped Crusader.” The filmmaker’s prior films include the hugely successful “Planet of the Apes” franchise, the acclaimed fantasy horror film “Let Me In,” and the sci-fi horror hit “Cloverfield,” among others. Reeves’ additional credits include the popular TV series “Felicity,” which he co-created with Abrams, as well as the series “Ordinary Joe,” “Lift,” “Mother/Android,” “Away,” “Tales from the Loop” and “The Passage,” among others.
Needless to say, this is super huge news all across the board. You can credit 2018’s Aquaman for getting things wavy box office-wise but it’s really 2019’s The Joker which blew folks away the most and proved DC could be taken seriously. Ever since, things have lined up in huge ways and is putting a little bit of pressure on its competition.
Only time will tell what’s really going to happen with both the sequel and the HBO Max series, but you have to bet the fan feedback and need for more Batman-related fun will have these projects really reach new heights for both Hollywood and the premium TV network.